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Pāmu and LIC join forces to progress dairy beef farming

05 December 2024

Pāmu and LIC join forces to progress dairy beef farming

Pāmu Farms of New Zealand and Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) have announced an innovative collaboration aimed at transforming the dairy-beef sector. Both organisations, together with Pāmu subsidiary, Focus Genetics, have begun working together on a new beef breeding programme that utilises genetics from Pāmu and Focus Genetics and will leverage LIC’s commercial capabilities with the aim of meeting the future demand for quality dairy beef genetics.

“LIC is committed to breeding the best cows faster to help our farmers continue to be profitable and sustainable. By partnering with Pāmu we’re looking forward to delivering innovative dairy-beef solutions that can create extra value for dairy farmers – and are backed by data that demonstrates that they work for the entire dairy and dairy-beef sector,” says LIC Chief Executive, David Chin. 

With a shared commitment to enhancing sustainability and profitability across the dairy sector, the partnership leverages decades of genetics research and practical experience to meet the evolving challenges faced by dairy farmers, calf rearers, beef finishers and processors.

Pāmu Chief Executive Mark Leslie says: 

“Pāmu is focused on delivering long-term benefits for New Zealand agriculture. By working with LIC, we can share our expertise and ensure that the advancements we’re making in farming practices and genetics benefit not just our farms, but all farmers across the country.”

The dairy beef breed has been developed with key factors including short gestation, ease of calving, good growth rates, and excellent eating quality, as well as lower methane. The dairy beef breeding animals will continue to be tested the entire way through the beef value chain from calf rearing to processing, ensuring the right genetics for performance, profitability and sustainability are as thoroughly evaluated as possible.

“Our new Pāmu methane testing facility at St Kilda is a key component of our strategic programmes around developing an integrated profitable dairy beef approach.”

By combining Pāmu expertise in farming innovation with LIC’s leadership in genetics, the collaboration aims to support a commercially viable and environmentally sustainable dairy-beef sector.